One Original Thing
by Fruitey
Summary: “Are you falling in love with me?” She asked abruptly. “N-no,” I stuttered, shocked at her bluntness. “Good,” she said, her tone thick with warning. “Because I’m not someone you’d want to fall in love with.” AH B/E
1. Chapter 1

**I know! Yet **_**another**_** story! I can't even finish one, and I'm starting another. I have absolutely no self control. Sorry about that... I hope you enjoy! Reviews are total awesomesauce (:  
**

Disclaimer: I don't own _Twilight_.

**One Original Thing**

EPOV

It was incredulous how vague and naive their minds were. Teenagers were so stereotypical—any small difference in their world was an instant interest. I scowled as I saw Mike Newton cross the parking lot, obviously making a beeline to his current significant other. The brunette, a distasteful girl named Jessica, laughed as Mike wrapped his hands around her eyes. His head swiveled a fraction to meet my gaze, and he smirked at me, no doubt using a handful of derogatory adjectives in his mind. I rolled my eyes and plugged my headphones into my iPod, losing myself in the music. I would be eternally grateful for my musical aid; it was the only thing that kept me sane in this sea of pitiful teenagers.

Not to say I'm not a teenager. I am—just turned legal, in fact. I was an official adult, as of June 20th. I just wasn't as dim-witted as these creatures around me.

Forks High was your typical high school—full of cliques, gossip, and freshmen pretending they were twenty. I scanned through my songs—4,000 in total—and chose the blues. Who needed peers when I had Ray Charles?

The bell rang five minutes later, but I didn't take my headphones out. I never did. The teachers never noticed anyway—they were just like kids, ignorant and mostly posers, but took advantage of their age. If you stood up to them, they backed down. Just kids, who'd been around longer and claimed you didn't know anything.

Please. I'd learn more on a road trip than in school.

First class was Biology. I cringed as I thought of Tanya, my lab partner, more than eager to sit next to me. Tanya was one of the heiresses in our school, who took a fake interest in underclassmen, such as myself. She was nice to me, to my face, and then she'd whisper and laugh about me once I was out of earshot, when she was with her fellow heiresses.

Or maybe she'd developed a little crush—that's what one of her friends told me. I gagged at the thought—I'd rather hug a cactus, thank you very much.

"Hi Eddy," she said the second I sat in my seat. I nodded curtly, discreetly turning up the volume on my iPod.

"How was your weekend?" she prompted, leaning toward me. Her low-cut shirt exposed her pink bra as she inched closer to me. I'm sure her skirt gave boys in the back a nice view as well.

Tanya was, in one word, slutty. But she tried to come off as innocent when she talked, using a high soprano voice and giggling softly. Every guy in school wanted her, yet she supposedly wanted me. Me, of all people. Why couldn't she go drool over a quarterback instead? I really wasn't that interesting.

Perhaps it was because I was the only guy who didn't think twice about her. I groaned at the thought.

"Fine," I said. Better to stick with one-syllable answers. I didn't want her getting the wrong idea.

She pouted at my lack of response. "Oh, well that's cool. Wanna hear about mine?"

I should've known she only wanted to boast about her own extravagant weekend. I was about to say no, I'd rather be eaten by a poodle, but her question was, apparently, rhetorical.

"Well, on Saturday I went shopping for a dress. It's for the prom, and I found one that's pretty cool. It's red. Do you think I look good in red?"

I shrugged, starting to bob my head to the music. Maybe she'd take the hint.

Tanya shrugged herself, and continued her story. "You know, it sucks because I got this beautiful dress...but no one to see me in it. I mean, I'm going to the dance, but I don't have a date." Her face dropped and she blinked her eyes innocently at me. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"So...are you going?" She asked, her tone even. I had to admit, she was good at the flirting thing. Any other guy would've taken her hint at once and all but demand her to accompany them to the dance. Possibly make her write on a napkin as proof that she'd still be up for it when the time came. And then frame the napkin in their bedroom.

"I'm not going," I said, to let her off easily. Her mouth fell open. No, really. It was pretty amusing, actually. She looked like one of those girls on a sitcom, having been just informed their yacht sank, or whatever.

"But it's prom!" Tanya shrieked. "You can't just not go to the most important dance in existence!"

"I don't dance." The absurdity of it was enough to make my stomach lurch.

"It doesn't matter! You should at least show up...after all, that's the night where the girl you bring, if you bring one, loses her virg—"

"I'm not going." I said again, cutting off her sentence. I really didn't want to hear the last part.

Tanya's innocent pout turned into a snarl. Who knew girls were this stubborn?

"Ed. Ward." She separated my name into syllables. "Are you that blind? I am _asking you_ to _prom_. Will you just agree already?"

I clenched my teeth. Did she honestly think I'd agree that easily? I supposed she didn't know any better, but really. It was like she was forcing me to go, and that was not at all attractive.

Before I could respond, though, the teacher walked into the room. Tanya grinned triumphantly at me, her sweet, girly facade taking over again.

"Leave me alone," I mumbled, loud enough for her to hear, and turned away.

I couldn't wait till the end of the day.

But before lunch, I had gym, which was unfortunate. Last semester, I'd had it last block, where it didn't matter if you didn't take a shower because no one would care. But right before lunch, I didn't want the stink on me, so I was forced to shower in the boys' locker room.

The very rowdy, obnoxious boys' locker room.

We'd added a unit to gym class: dance unit. No, I am not kidding. I wish I was. I would've skipped, but I'd already missed two classes and if I got a third I'd get detention. I couldn't even use my pass, which every student gets per semester to use only once, because I'd already used mine last week. I sighed as I went to my locker, away from all the other guys', and put on my gym clothes.

"Guess where I'm taking Rose tonight," Emmett's voice echoed off the walls. There were a lot of hoots and hollers following, and I fought the urge to punch them all. Didn't they have an ounce of respect for women these days? Of course, people like Tanya didn't exactly want their own space. She craved the attention of boys with perverted minds—why else would she dress the way she does?

"Damn, you lucky son of a bitch," shouted Tyler Crowley, who'd supplied most of the hoots. Man-whore.

I left before I got myself too angry. I couldn't even trust my iPod to keep my occupied, since I wouldn't be able to hide it from Coach Clapp.

"Alright, girl scouts, huddle up," Coach yelled. "I'm about as happy to do this as you are, but it's required this year. So pair off and hurry up—the sooner you get started, the sooner you get to stop. We're doing square dancing."

All the girls squealed, hugging each other, while all the guys groaned. Myself included. I didn't want to dance with any of these girls, especially Tanya.

This was going to be one hell of a unit.

Lunch came agonizingly slow. I skipped the block, as usual, and headed for my car. I never asked for a pass beforehand—no one ever saw me leave. I was pretty much invisible, and I intended to keep it that way.

The next half hour I simply sat, scrolling through music while pondering my current state of misery.

I didn't know when I started becoming a social pariah, but it suited me well. No one talked to me, and I didn't talk to them. I chose to be like that. Why risk letting anything slip from your mouth, when you could just stay silent and be safe? Better safe than sorry, that was my motto.

Besides, I found that not talking attracted the attention I wanted, and speaking my mind attracted people I did not.

Take Jasper Hale, for example. He chose the same path as I, though the details eluded me. He was much more preferable to sit with than, say, Emmett McCarty, the biggest jock in school. Emmett was friendly enough, a little too much, but very loud. It was unnerving how much this guy craved attention. Whereas Jasper and I, we were on good terms. He understood my desire in music, and I understood his desire in books and action figures.

I must've dosed off some time in my car, because next thing I knew, I was dreaming. Except, everything felt so real, I couldn't be sure.

It was a nightmare, naturally. I was six again, with my mother, my biological mother, in the hospital bed next to me. She was very ill, suffering from a severe case of the flu, and I had the same disease, but much, much milder. All I could hear were her cries for water and her skin burning under my touch. I could feel her hand become hotter and hotter and suddenly, it went cold. Ice cold.

I let out a cry of pain, jerking from my dream that was also my worst memory. Sweat had formed on my brow and I hastily wiped it away, still shaken. I swallowed the lump in my throat, taking deep breaths. I realized my music was still on and shut it off.

God, it was times like these I wished I'd be able to stay awake forever, to be somehow unable to sleep. It'd be much easier than dealing with these recurring nightmares.

I jumped at a knock at my window. No one ever caught me out here.

I was expecting to find Ms. Cope, the secretary, and being caught red-handed. I flinched as I thought of the disappointment I've give Carlisle, my father, if I got another detention. I was a horrible son. And Esme's disappointment would be too much to bear.

But it wasn't Ms. Cope. Instead, I saw someone else, someone who wouldn't know enough not to bother me.

She was beautiful.

That was the first thing that came into mind—her beauty. She had pale skin, flawless, with dark brown hair tied into a loose side ponytail. Her eyes, a deep chocolate brown, were mesmerizing and lined with a thick eyeliner. She wore beat up Converse sneakers, red jeans, and a black hoodie.

But she was frowning at me. The frown didn't suit her.

I got out of the car and walked toward her. She looked at me, smirking. It wasn't until I almost tripped over my headphones that I realized they'd fallen out of my ears.

I cursed for being so uncoordinated in front of such a girl. Was I still dreaming? She wasn't speaking, and I didn't want to either in case my own voice woke me from this new, more pleasant dream.

"Were you skipping class?" The girl asked, and I let out a sigh of relief. She was real, and she was talking to me.

"Just lunch. I'm pretty sure no one will miss me," I replied. My voice sounded too cheery, too nervous. I wasn't used to this desire to talk. Usually I just shut things out and let the songs speak for me.

"Why do you skip lunch to hang out in your car?" She tilted her head to the side. I caught a glimpse of a scar on her neck, a fresh one that was an angry red color. I didn't want to be rude, so I stifled my curiosity.

"Um, I just listen to music," I said pathetically. She smiled, and my heart skipped a beat.

"What were you listening to just now?"

"Just some Linkin Park..." I trailed off. "What's your name?" I asked before I could stop myself. I hoped she didn't take my Linkin Park comment too seriously—what if she didn't like alternative bands?

"I love them," she said, as if answering my thoughts. "I saw them live this summer."

"No way!" I exclaimed, the butterflies in my stomach temporarily forgotten. "What did they play?"

"The usual, off their _Minutes to Midnight_ album. They played with All Time Low."

My mouth fell open. "Seriously?" Both of those bands were on my Top 25 Most Played playlist. What a lucky girl she was.

"I was pretty lucky to get tickets," she laughed. I noticed she'd avoided telling me her name.

"So...um, why are you here?" I asked.

She frowned again. "You want me to leave?"

"No, no! I didn't mean it like that." The thought of her leaving so soon hurt my head. She was, if nothing, my first enjoyable companion. "I meant, why are you here in Forks High's parking lot? I've never seen you before."

"Oh, that." Her face dropped, and I was afraid I'd said something wrong. "I'm enrolling." She made a face.

"I'm guessing you're not too excited about that," I voiced my assumptions. She kicked a pebble on the ground.

"Not really. My mom kicked me out of her house in Phoenix, so I'm living with my dad. It sort of sucks."

I backpedaled, not wanting to hit a nerve. "Oh. Sorry I brought it up," I mumbled. What was wrong with me? I was saying way too much, talking more than I had in a long time. I was bound to trip up some time.

"Don't worry about it," she blew my apology aside. "What's your name?"

"Edward." I said, suddenly cursing for having such a medieval name. It must've sounded pathetic.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Is."

"Is?" I repeated.

She nodded. "Well, my real name's Isabella. But my, er, friends used to call me Is."

I noted how she stumbled over the word 'friends'. She grinned sheepishly before elaborating.

"Well, actually...my friends, if I had any, probably would've called me Bella. But Is sounds like a stronger name, don't you think?"

In my opinion, Bella suited her better. But I didn't want her to get the wrong idea, so I kept my mouth shut. Always safer. I'd just call her Bella myself, inside my head.

"Um...they both sound...fine."

Bella's musical laugh filled the air. "Thanks. I don't know, changing my name is a bit far-fetched. I guess I'll stick to Bella."

I nodded, I guess a little too quickly, because she laughed again.

"If you liked that better, you could've just said." Bella told me. "I'm not afraid of the truth."

I thought about that. I wasn't afraid of the truth either, I just didn't want to say something and have it be misinterpreted. If I didn't say anything, I wouldn't have to worry about the truth or, if needed, the lie.

I was just surprised she could read me so easily.

"So, are you starting today?" I asked, eyeing her lack of supplies. Like a backpack, for instance.

"No, I'm supposed to get a tour today by someone named..." she pulled out a folded sheet of paper and glanced at the name, "Tyler Crowley, a member of student council."

Unintentionally, my anger flared. Tyler only joined student council because he thought a girl named Lauren would be in it. I overheard him saying it was just a big joke, but he couldn't back out now. If he laid one grubby finger on Bella...

"You okay?" She asked, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Um, yeah," I shook my head, as if to shake off the bad thoughts. "Peachy."

"Hmm." Bella studied my face, and I averted my eyes, embarrassed. "What are you thinking about?" Her brown eyes were warm, inviting. She looked genuinely curious.

I contemplated warning Bella about Tyler, but thought against it. I didn't want to seem judgmental, or the type of guy who held a grudge for no apparent reason. After all, he'd done nothing to offend me personally. He was just an ass.

"I'm not afraid of the truth," Bella repeated. I sighed.

"It's nothing. Just...be careful when you're around Tyler." I grimaced as I thought of what he'd say in the locker room tomorrow about Bella.

"I can take care of myself," she said, suddenly guarded. Her face softened when her eyes met mine.

"Thanks anyway. Why should I be careful around him?"

I blew out another sigh. I guess I should just tell her, it was no use not to. She'd get it out of me eventually.

"He's sort of an asshole. And he has a perverted mind. He only joined student council 'cause he wanted to scout out some girl." I waited as that sunk in, examining her features.

Bella pursed her lips. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind." She bit her lip, suddenly nervous. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but she just gave me a weak smile. Her breathing was starting to get faster, though, and I was getting a little nervous myself.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

She ignored me, starting to cough. "Crap," she spit out before running away from me. She wrenched open the door to an old red truck and took something out. I couldn't see from where I was standing what it was.

After breathing into the thing, she stopped coughing. It was only then did I realize she was holding onto an inhaler. I rushed over.

"You have asthma?" I asked. Bella only nodded before breathing deeply once again. I heard the lunch bell ring from inside but ignored it—who'd miss me if I skipped another class?

"I'm okay. Thanks." She put the inhaler back into her truck. I eyed it warily—shouldn't she keep it on her, in case she has another attack?

Bella laughed at me, still wheezing a little, before pulling out a cigarette. My eyes widened even more as I saw the packs of them on the passenger's seat. Before I could see any more, she shut the door and started walking toward the school's entrance. I jogged to catch up.

"Bella, isn't smoking bad for you if—"

"Save your breath, Edward. I've heard it all from my mom, so don't try to pull a lecture on how smoking and asthma don't coincide. It's my choice." Her eyes blazed as she made her point across, the warmth less visible. She seemed more distanced.

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't say anything. She stopped and threw the cigarette on the ground, stomping on it with her shoe.

"Sorry if you don't approve," Bella said sourly, studying my face as I watched her light another. Bella walked toward the school, and I was about to tell her that smoking wasn't allowed in there, but she stopped short of the door. Instead, she leaned back against the building's wall, her arms crossed. I bit my lip, again saying nothing. I didn't want her to go away, not yet. I'd never enjoyed talking to anyone this much before, not even Jasper. But I wasn't so selfish that I would never confront her about this habit later. I'd just save it until the right time.

"Where do you live?" I switched topics.

"Why, are you planning to stalk me?" Bella snapped, suddenly edgy. Her abrupt change in personality caught me off guard.

"No, I'm just curious," I said, treading on water.

Bella took another drag of her cigarette. "Well, if you must know, I'm Chief Swan's daughter. Charlie and I live about two miles off the highway."

"Chief Swan and my father know each other well," I commented. "That's a funny coincidence." I chuckled to myself.

"Yeah. Hilarious." Bella said flatly. She peeled herself off the wall and spit the cigarette in the trash can near the entrance.

She was mumbling something to herself as she walked back to me. I smiled timidly, but she ignored me, her voice rising.

"Why do I always do this? I should've known not to get involved with anyone. You're such an idiot, Bella! You never learn!" She kicked at the pavement, then flashed her eyes to meet mine again. They were hard, emotionless.

"I don't know why you started talking to me, but I suggest you stay away. I'm not someone you want to be around."

And with that she turned on her heel and stalked off, still muttering angry words under her breath. My eyebrows furrowed together—that wasn't how I envisioned the rest of our conversation going. I walked in slowly after her, but when I scanned the halls, she was gone.

So I went back to Spanish, to endure the last fifteen minutes of it. I turned on my iPod, shaking my thoughts away, and became numb again. No more talking today—I'd already said more than enough.

I shouldn't have said anything to her at all, I seethed as I turned the volume higher. I'd broken my vow of silence. I was out in the open, letting my guard down in front of this new girl, a girl I didn't even know. I didn't know anything about her, except that she liked music and smoked a lot. Plus she wasn't looking for friends. Well, I wasn't either. That was what made us click.

I couldn't wait to see her again.

**Reviews make me happier than a clam. And I love being happy (:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Twilight_.**

"Hey Bella," I said casually as I made my way down the halls the next day. I tried to sound casual, as if saying hi to beautiful girls was something I did regularly, and hadn't practiced in the mirror a thousand times the night before. I noticed a lot of heads turn as they watched Bella gliding down the hall, the new girl, the central gossip of the day. I felt sympathetic towards her—it must be horrid being the new kid in town, especially if you weren't that social and really didn't like attention. I took comfort in the fact that at least she knew me, if that even counted as comfort.

It was her first day here, and Tyler Crowley was on her like a hawk. This morning I'd snuck a glance at her coming out of her big red truck, backpack slung over one shoulder, turning her iPod off in her coat pocket. Tyler had immediately pounced on her, babbling about some idiotic event being planned in student council—the phony sucker—while looking intently on Bella's chest. I laughed in relief when she informed him where her eyes were located.

I knew it was risky, greeting her like she hadn't blown up at me yesterday afternoon. I didn't even know why she'd suddenly turned hostile towards me, after our conversation about Linkin Park. Was she still mad at me, or herself, for an unexplained reason? I just hoped she'd gotten over whatever it was and had returned to her beautiful, happy, if somewhat mysterious self I'd first encountered.

Bella smiled at me, and my heart instinctively sped up. I let out a sigh of relief—she looked to be in a decent mood, nothing to be scared of. She shot an annoyed look at Tyler, who had noticed her lack of attention. I gave him a cold glare, which he returned, mouthing the words "She's mine". I almost laughed out loud at that one. Boy was he in for a surprise—a girl actually refusing to drool over him. Well, he'd learn there was a first time for everything.

I heard her say, "I'll see you later, Tyler" before running off, shooting an amused glance my way. I smirked, especially because Tyler had been in the middle of his sentence before she blew him off. I was relieved that she'd seen what a jerk he was firsthand, and trusted my judgment.

Tyler didn't seem to think it was funny at all, though. After standing still for about a minute, perhaps in a state of shock—what a scum—he turned and stalked toward me like a raging bull. His nostrils flared.

"What the hell, Cullen?" He spat, leaning in my face. "Who do you think you are?"

People around were already starting to whisper; girls were giggling like a show was about to go on. In a way, it was—Cullen vs. Crowley, the ultimate showdown. I loved how Tyler thought he was so tough just 'cause he was on the football team, and happened to have a good arm. Like he'd beat me in a fight, hands down. I bet the guy couldn't even spell touchdown.

"I hate to burst your bubble, Tyler, but clearly she was repelled by you." I didn't bother mentioning Bella's name, he obviously knew who I was talking about since his face turned an interesting shade of purple.

"Excuse me? Listen, you asshole, are you honestly jealous enough to think for even a second that the new girl isn't—"

"I'll tell you something else," I said, ignoring his previous outburst. "If you lay one filthy hand on her, learn to sleep with your eyes open."

And with that cheesy threat, I walked away, feeling my point had been made. I could practically feel people staring at me as I turned and walked into Spanish, digging in my pocket for my iPod. I smiled as I thought of what Bella had said yesterday, about how we liked the same bands. And it was nice to know she didn't hate me, or hold that weird grudge against me. Mr. Rodriguez gave me a disapproving look as I took my seat in back—he'd been in the middle of reading an excerpt from some Spanish kids magazine—and clucked his tongue. I stifled my laughter.

The next few blocks were surprisingly fast. I even survived Biology, mainly because Tanya was absent. I cheered and scrolled to an upbeat, happy song so I could celebrate. I saw Jacob Black, one of Tyler's flunkies, though much more preferable, looking at me as I sat in my seat, and raised a quizzical eyebrow. Before he could explain, or say anything, for that matter, Mr. Banner came in and started his lecture. I sighed and got ready to endure an hour of endless banter about human cells and DNA.

I was a bit anxious about lunch and, by the time it rolled around, slightly frantic. I didn't know whether to go to my car, as usual, and listen to my music, hoping Bella would remember I always skipped and find me, or take my chances and enter the lunchroom. I really hated the cafeteria, with its specially arranged seating (seniors here, freshmen there, jocks in the middle), and it wasn't comforting that I might not find a seat anywhere. No one wanted to sit with me, anyway. Except maybe Bella, and even that was a long shot. Surely she'd made a few friends by now—I wouldn't know, though, since she was in none of my classes.

I decided to risk social exile and go to lunch. I didn't usually eat during this time, so I found a table in the corner of the room, the farthest seat possible from the jock table, and took out my iPod. I was secretly hoping Bella would notice it on the table and come to join me, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.

I felt the seat across from me become occupied, and looked up ever so slowly, as if I were completely clueless I was in a lunchroom at all. But my smile deflated a little as I saw it was only Jasper, his nose stuck in a comic book. I wondered if he'd spotted me at all.

"Oh, hey Edward," Jasper said, his tone clearly surprised, as he finally noticed my presence. "What're you doing here?"

I shrugged. He was familiar with my ditch-lunch-remain-in-car routine, and was probably shocked when out of the blue, I decided to spend some quality time with him.

"I'm sort of waiting on someone," I admitted sheepishly. Jasper, thinking nothing of it, nodded and went back to reading. That's what I liked about Jasper—he was curious, sure, but he was also able to stifle that curiosity and not butt into people's business.

I guess I'd sort of dazed off, because I hadn't noticed Jasper had started talking to me again. He was saying something about a new novel coming out called Twitching or Twilight or something, while I feigned interest. Then he brought up a subject that captured my interest. I unplugged my headphones.

"Did you see that new girl today?" Jasper had asked, putting his book aside as well. I tried not to smile at his question.

"Her name's Bella," I pointed out. "And yeah, I did."

Jasper thought about that. "Hmm. Everyone's been talking about her in every class I've had so far. They're all saying 'Chief Swan's daughter is back.'"

"Chief Swan knows my dad pretty well," I said, a little smugly.

"That's cool," Jasper said. After a moment he said, "Hey, you know what's really weird? In Tech today Jacob Black came over to me and started asking me about you."

I scrunched my eyebrows together; a distasteful sound came from my throat. Jacob Black? Why would someone as crude as him ask about me? Hadn't he been the one I'd caught staring at me in Biology?

"Really?" I asked, to have Jasper confirm.

"Yeah."

I waited for him to say something more, but he didn't.

"So...what did he say?" I finally prompted.

"I don't know, really. He just asked me if I was friends with you, and said something about you being a really cool guy."

Jacob Black said I was a cool guy? Had he lost a bet or something?

"That's...weird," I said. There wasn't really another way to describe it.

Jasper shrugged. "Then he said something about the new girl—Bella. He said you seemed to know her."

So _that_ was what this was about. My momentary confusion melted into anger. So Jacob Black wanted to use me to get to Bella, was that it? I scoffed as I realized I almost fell into his trap. I bet he was just dying to become friends with me—and then, once I introduced him to Bella, he'd get with her and dump me. That would be just the icing on the cake.

Jasper, sensing my uneasiness, attempted to explain. "I wouldn't worry about it, Edward. Jacob's not a big threat. He's a pretty cool guy once you get to know him."

My mouth seriously fell open at that one. "And how would you know that? Did _you_ get to know him?"

"No, no, I just meant..." Jasper's panicky eyes willed into mine, and I sighed. I shouldn't have been so harsh on him. It was just so easy to get carried away...Jasper wasn't one to stand up for himself. We weren't exactly friends either, more like acquaintances that tolerated each other over the other people of Forks High.

"Never mind, Jasper. Sorry." With that, I took my music out again. So far I'd been trying to distract myself with the music so that I'd be able to forget about Bella for a little. I hadn't even looked to see where she was in the cafeteria, but I didn't know if I could do it much longer. Clearly she wasn't going to sit with Jasper and I, since lunch was halfway over.

I couldn't take it anymore—I stopped my iPod and scanned the room, desperately seeking out the lovely brown doe-eyes I craved. Had she decided to wait for me in the car and, realizing I wasn't there, gone elsewhere? Or maybe I was just full of it, and she wasn't looking for me at all? Probable. Perhaps she'd gone out to her car to smoke. I shuddered—I'd rather have her sit with Tyler than have to watch that again. But surely, with her newfound popularity, she wouldn't risk getting caught doing something illegal on her first day of school.

But Bella was unpredictable. I didn't know what to expect.

Eventually, I sunk into a depressed, looks-like-she's-not-coming mood. Lunch went by, the most uneventful part of the day so far, and I said my goodbyes to Jasper half-heartedly. He was already walking toward the trashcan to throw his uneaten lunch out. I still felt a little guilty for yelling at him, and was about to turn and apologize again. I stopped, however, when I saw him talking animatedly with a girl, her back turned to me. A girl with beautiful dark brown hair and Converse sneakers.

What was she talking to _him_ about? That was the first thing that came to mind. Then I saw another girl, a small, pixie like one with spiky brown hair, come into view, laughing. I recognized her to be Alice Brandon, the spunky little rebel of Forks High. She, Bella, and Jasper were all talking and laughing as they started walking to Bella's seat, which apparently was next to Tyler. She looked reluctant to sit down, waving to Jasper and Alice before tuning in to Tyler's conversation. I felt a little nauseous as I saw them talking, even though it was completely irrational since I knew Bella was only being polite. I turned so I couldn't see Tyler's triumphant smile, directed toward me. It was like shooting myself in the foot, seeing him grin at me like that, a grin that clearly said, "I won. Suck on that!"

Needless to say, lunchtime is my worst block.

At the end of the day, I cornered Jasper. I didn't want to sound angry, since it would be wrongly directed anger, and I'd already blown up at him once today. But I couldn't control my voice—my words came out sharp and hard.

"What were you doing talking to Bella at lunch today?" I asked. Jasper's expression was genuinely confused as he took in my words.

"I was just introducing myself..." Jasper said, trailing off. He didn't even try to defend himself from my misplaced anger. Again, I felt guilt overcome me.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Jasper. That came out very harsh. I suppose I'm overreacting." As usual. We hadn't been friends to begin with, Bella and I. Who was I to stand in the way of her making new friends?

Just then that small girl, Alice, came up to Jasper, a brilliant smile on her face.

"I was right! That's five bucks, please," She told Jasper, positively beaming at the win of some bet between the two. I don't think I've seen someone so happy before; she was practically jumping in place. Alice had the craziest outfit on—some sort of Hello Kitty striped top, a black tutu with leggings underneath, ballet flats, and a tiara. You had to hand it to that girl—she certainly didn't pester herself with how people would react. I wish I could have that kind of confidence, though I'd rather use it on Bella than to make a fashion statement.

"Dang, really? I was so sure I was right," Jasper said, fawning disappointment. In truth, he didn't look disappointed at all. He looked like he was having the time of his life, chatting with this bold, slightly eccentric girl. I took it he'd developed a little crush, and smiled. I'd tease him about it later.

Well, at least he was making progress. Alice seemed to be just as eager.

"Oh, hi, Edward," she smiled at me. I was shocked she even knew my name—I'd spoken but two words to her my entire life, and they had been "I'm sorry" after I'd accidentally bumped into her in the lunch line. Another thing to despise about that period—the increased risk of social interaction. Ugh.

"Hello," I said politely. I wondered if she had any information on Bella...shit, I was practically stalking her! What was _wrong _with me? Couldn't I think of something else for two minutes?

Speak of the Devil...or in this case, the angel. Bella appeared then, saying something to Alice, when she saw me. I smiled at her, timidly, and she smiled back.

"Hey Bella," Jasper said casually.

"Hi Jazz. How's that English project coming?" She asked. I did a double take. Bella had a nickname for Jasper? She'd just met the guy! And how did she know about Jasper's English project? It was only her first day here!

"It's...coming," Jasper said, sounding glum at the reminder. Alice's musical laugh filled the air. If only it were contagious. I could use a little cheering up right now, considering the fact Bella seemed to like Jasper so much she had a nickname for him and everything...

I was such an idiot.

"Do you need any help on it, Jazz? I could help out, if you want. I've got a creative eye," Alice suggested, joking but at the same time serious. Jasper blushed, suddenly interested in his shoelaces.

"Um, sure, that'd be great. If you want to, you can come over my house, or something...only if you want to, of course," He stammered, slowly looking up again.

"That sounds fun," she agreed. "When are you free?"

"Today," Jasper blurted, and all of us laughed at his expression. Embarrassed, he tried again. "I mean, it would be easily manageable this afternoon, fair lady." Then he bowed to her. He actually bowed. Who knew meek, quiet Jasper was actually pretty funny? I felt bad for not getting to know him better. I assumed he just ran on comic books and nothing else—I didn't expect him to be so, well, amusing. And sort of confident, by the way he bowed right in front of his very obvious target.

"You know, I think I'll need your number, just in case you need help any other day," Alice said.

"Oh, definitely. But I think I lost mine today—I'll have to get yours first."

Bella, watching the scene, smiled knowingly at me.

"Nice pick up line. Do we visit the same website?" Alice turned to wink at Bella. I stifled my own laugh.

"Perhaps we should go to my house and check that out." Jasper said. Grinning, he and Alice walked off to the parking lot, hand in hand. I couldn't believe how well that had played out, like it'd come straight off a movie screen. Jasper seemed quite the ladies man.

Bella and I laughed with each other, before lapsing into an awkward silence.

"So, how was your first day? I didn't see you a lot," I said, subtly adding the last part in. I was glad she seemed to be in a good mood, not the sarcastic, bitter one she'd shown some of yesterday.

"It was okay. Tyler was really funny to watch, trying to impress me. I sat with him at lunch to see how far he'd go."

I felt a wave of relief wash through me. "What did he do?"

Bella laughed. "He introduced me to all of his idiotic friends, and then stared at my body the rest of the time. It was very amusing, but very sick. I hate people like that." She stuck her tongue out.

"Anyone here catch your eye?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. In reality, my palms were sweating, and my heart was jumping erratically in my chest. I hoped desperately she wasn't going to say Jacob Black. He'd been annoying the hell out of me today, after the information I received from Jasper.

But Bella just frowned, and I cursed inwardly. Just when we get to talking, I have to say something stupid and ruin it.

"It's not really your concern on whom I do and don't like, is it?" She asked sharply. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing," I promised. "It's nothing. I was just curious."

_Shut up, Edward, just stop talking. Freak._

"It's only my first day here, and I don't believe in love. So you don't have to worry about me falling for some inconceivable jock."

"I wasn't...I didn't mean—" I sighed. "Sorry."

"I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." She was already plugging her earphones in, and I was slightly horrified to see her pull out a cigarette her backpack. She rolled her eyes when she caught me gaping and walked toward the exit, to her unique red truck. I stood still for a moment longer before walking toward my own car, kicking pebbles off the sidewalk. It was already twenty minutes since school had ended, and I felt like crap. I replayed our conversation in my head again as I backed out of the lot, turning the volume up incredibly loud to the radio. It was just some nonsense pop station, but I didn't care too much to change it. I had more pressing things on my mind.

Such as how Bella seemed to be very annoyed by me, and I didn't know why. Maybe I was just a generally annoying person, which, before now, hadn't bothered me. Or maybe I was just nagging her too much, and seemed like a desperate loser. Whatever the reason, I vowed to change it as soon as possible.

Also the fact that Bella seemed to get bitter right before she started smoking—I wanted to try to change that, too, although it wasn't my place. I just couldn't stand letting her smoke right before my eyes and do nothing.

Perhaps the most pressing thing, and also the most irrational, was a specific piece of our conversation. She'd said she didn't believe in love. Was that possible? Or was she bluffing? I couldn't tell, but I made a promise right then and there to do one more thing. Something that might, ultimately, be impossible.

I wanted to change that.

**So...Edward's a man on a mission. Will he succeed? Stick around to find out!**


End file.
